This is my Lasik Eye Experience. Ever since I was a child, I had a problem with my vision. Of course at 10 years old I didn't realize it. I always wondered why my other class mates always raised their hands and asked questions when I couldn't even see the chalkboard. I also remember going on a trip with my family. We took a cable car about 500 feet up between these mountains in Southern California. I recall not being able to see clearly in front of me or how far we were above the ground. I was blind as a bat!
Needless to say, I was terrified! Petrified! I thought the cable might snap. I realized after this point that something was not right about my eyesight. My mom kept telling me to get away from the tv, you're gonna' ruin your eyes! Well guess what, my vision was already ruined. It seems to run in the family beacuse all my uncles and aunts wear glasses.
I guess my mom finally decided that my eyes needed to be checked and got a free eye test from an optometrist. My vision was really bad. So the doctor gave me these coke bottle, erkel like glasses I had to wear. I was probably like 11 years old but nonetheless, I was seeing things I didn't know existed!
So to make a long story short, I went through my middle school and high school years wearing glasses. I wish and I wished I didnt have to wear them. I wished my whole adolescent life my vision were perfect. So, close to my senior year I decide to get contacts. After getting past the initial fear of putting something in my eye, I started to feel comfortable wearing them.
My whole life changed because I started feeling more self-confident. I could play sports now and swim under water(as long as my eyes are closed). I wanted to do a lot of pyhsical things and I was able to do it with out fear of breaking my glasses. It's just not a good idea to wear glasses in full conatct sports.. like football!
Contact lenses improved my life! As funny as that may sound, it did. The only problem was... they were uncomfortable and had to take constant care of my them. Morning, I had to put it in. At night, I had to take them out. Then I had to wash them, sterilize them and store them and I couldn't sleep with them on. As soon as I took them out my vision was blurry again. It became a hassle to do this with my busy lifestyle, all throughout college.
I just lived with it and knew this was much better than having to wear those glasses. In the year 2000 I heard about Lasik Eye Surgery which seemed very promising. I did some research and I wanted to have it done right away, no questions asked. So in 2001 I went to a well known Lasik eye surgeon at a Lasik eye center to have the procedure done.
I never had surgery before but I felt no fear whatsoever. I mean they were gonna put a laser beam in my eye and I was ok with it! I couldn't wait to have perfect vison. No more glasses and no more contacts for me! The doctor was very informative and assured me that this was a common procedure and has a high success rate. So we both gave it a go.
I sat down in the operating chair and the doctor used these clamps to hold each eyelid open. Those clamps were cold! It was a little scary, but I couldn't turn back now. Then came a solution the doctor put in my eye to numb it, it took a few minutes to work. Then... I had to be VERY still for the laser to do its job. The doctor told me not to move at all! I didn't even breathe!
Then I heard several quick pulse like noises and I started to smell something burning, it smelled aweful. Their was smoke coming from my eye! I could see the smoke from the other eye. The laser was reshaping my cornea. I felt no pain, but all of a sudden I went blind! It was just for a minute though. It was just temporary blindness. Before I knew it, the doctor told me he was done! It took only about 7 minutes. On to the other eye, same thing. A quick pulse like noise, some smoke, and it was done!
I felt some pain and discomfort for about a day after I came out of surgery. I couldn't rub my eyes, I couldn't get water in my eyes and I was instructed to wear these huge dark sunglasses. I also had to put special eyedrops in my eye several times a day. My vision was still a little blury and I was starting to wonder if something went wrong. I remember my doctor telling me it would be like this for a day or two so I just waited it out. The next day I woke up and I thought I was dreaming! Everything looked so clear! It felt weird becasue I thought I had my contacts in. This was no dream, the surgery worked! I was so ecstatic and happy, I had the biggest grin on my face.
My vison was so clear and crisp. Everything was in focus and I was seeing better then ever. Driving on the freeway, I could see signs from a quarter mile away. Well, that may be an exaggeration but it was that good. I could make out people's faces from the other side of a big parking lot. I felt a sense of confidence that I never felt before and that improved every aspect of my life!
The only problem I have now is that my vision isn't as sharp, but still good and I have ocassional dry eye. A small price to pay for near perfect 20/20 vision, don't you think? I have to give credit to my doctor, he changed my life. Lasik surgery changed my life. Although their is risk for any kind of surgery, I believe Lasik is the way to go. Just do your research and pick a surgeon that has plenty of experience. The price has come down too, considerably from 8 years ago. This was one of the best decisions I made in my life. To anyone considering Lasik Eye Surgery... I highly recommend it.
